'Falling' Into Apple Season

With the arrival of fall comes a number of things—cooler weather, beautiful foliage and of course, apples.  In New York State, apples are more than just a tasty—and healthy—fruit, they are a major part of our agricultural economy, as well as the basis for family-friendly activities, like apple picking. 

Here’s a look at New York State apples, by the numbers:

29.5 million: That’s the number of bushels of apples grown annually in New York State, making us the second largest apple producing state in the nation. 

694: Across New York State there are roughly 694 commercial apple growers. These producers help to support tens of thousands of agriculture related jobs—everything from growing and harvesting to packaging and distribution.

53 percent: It’s estimated that 53 percent of all apples produced are sold as fresh market fruit – either at farm stands, U-pick farms or grocery stores. The remaining 47 percent of apples are processed into cider, juice or canned products such as applesauce, slices or pie fillings.

36: If apples are the perfect fall snack, cider is the perfect fall drink, with one gallon of cider consisting of roughly 36 apples. 

As Chair of the Senate Agriculture Committee, I know that enjoying the season’s apple harvest isn’t just a favorite part of the fall season, it’s a great way to support our hardworking farmers too.  While the recent summer drought is expected to result in a smaller apple crop, apples grown are said to be sweeter this year. Across Jefferson, Oswego and St. Lawrence Counties, there are more than a dozen places where you can go to pick apples, see how cider is made firsthand and find other farm-fresh products.  To check out a map of locations in our region, I encourage you to visit www.nyapplecountry.com.